RE: Feeding During an Endurance Ride

[Kim Pelletier <kim@redhorsetech.com>]

Hi there,

In the '89 NRC, the lysine in 40 d burmudagrass is really "unknown",
rather than zero.  The NRC will use zeros when the value is truly zero
---  when it is blank, the information is simply not available.

I wouldn't feel bad about this... there's a pretty expensive equine
ration evaluation program out there which inadvertantly substitutes
zeros for missing information.  Makes your ration look like it has the
feeding value of week-old newspaper if you did not select common horse
feeds with every nutrient analyzed.  I don't think that they're aware of
their mistake.  Who knows? 

Anyway, for a good guess on lysine, you could interpolate a bit I
suppose.  Just take the 15-28 d. growth and 43-56 d. growth value for
lysine and average it.  Not real scientific, but gets you somewhere near
the ballpark at least.  Looking at the NRC itself, that would 0.33% on
an "as-fed" basis, or thereabouts.  The quality of the hay is a big
factor as well --- something to keep hidden away in the back of the
brain.

Kim
(and Lee --- delurking awhile (actually, avoiding work :-)   )

Lubbock, TX

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> I don't think my, or rather Roo's, diet is lysine deficient, but since the NRH
> book says 40 day growth bermudagrass hay has NO lysine, it could be.
> 
> I assumed that lysine went up when protein went up, so that 40 day growth
> bermuda grass hay has more protein, and thus more lysine than 20 day growth hay.
> If my assumption is right, then I have enough lysine.  If the book is right and
> the hay has no lysine, then I'm seriously deficient.